Marco Island Woman’s Club Celebrates Women’s History Month

In 1987, March was officially declared Women’s History Month, giving us the opportunity to acknowledge the historical contributions of women throughout the United States. The Marco Island Woman’s Club (MIWC) recently grasped that opportunity at their March luncheon. Naples Lakes Country Club was the setting for this historic celebration, enhanced with a touch of the emerald isle and a delicious lunch of corned beef and cabbage, or vegetarian selection, that St. Patrick himself would have enjoyed! Centerpieces created by MIWC Décor Chair Helen Ruth, members Peggy Bethke, and Paula Pritchard (with a little help from Bella Florals!) made this gathering a lucky charm! 

MIWC President Sharyn Kampmeyer welcomed the crowd and honored all the past Presidents of our organization, including Christine Koppel, Arleen Soldano, Sue Ellen Welch, Sue Purvis, and Debbie Rago, who were in attendance. Kampmeyer has served as President for two separate terms, 2014-15 and currently. We welcomed a new member, Carole Medoff, to our sisterhood of friendship. MIWC Historian Carol Schwalje delivered an invocation fused with historical wit and wisdom. A historical presentation, coordinated by Schwalje and MIWC Past-Historian Lenore Yale, would leave the audience with a new understanding of Marco Island’s rich history along with a newfound heritage of the Marco Island Woman’s Club itself. 

Heather Otis, curator of the Marco Island Historical Museum, gave a presentation of epic proportions. She displayed a vast collection of items dating back to the early days of Marco Island’s development, particularly from the Deltona era of the 1960s. She thanked MIWC for being the first organization on the island to partner with the Marco Island Historical Society, preserving our club as an actual part of the history of this paradise we call home. 

Among the display items was a photograph that once graced the cover of the Marco Islander, a publication of the Deltona Corporation. It was a picture of a beautiful young lady posed on the beach with a seashell held to her ear. That young lady was Sheila Howard, one of the original founders of the Marco Island Woman’s Club. It was like the magic of finding the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, as Sheila, no longer living on Marco Island, had been located through efforts of the Marco Island Historical Society and Lenore Yale. Sheila attended our March luncheon, sharing her stories of our amazing beginning.

Sheila, originally from Boston, graduated from high school in 1965 and married Larry Howard in the fall of that year. The couple made their journey to Larry’s new location of employment with the Deltona Corporation, a tiny little dot on the map just off the coast of Southwest Florida. They crossed a wooden plank bridge to this almost unheard of, sparsely populated place called Marco Island. Sheila recalls looking at Larry and saying, “Really?”

Time went on, and Sheila made friends in her new home. One friendship would set the stage for the beginning of something big. Sheila, age 19, would forge a friendship with a lovely lady named Lillian, age 56. The two decided that they needed to form a gathering of women on the island to foster friendships and improve the quality of life for all. They took inspiration from a woman’s club in Boca Grande. The Deltona Corporation strongly supported the idea of a woman’s club and helped the Marco ladies schedule their very first meeting at the Marco Beach Hotel, now known as the JW Marriott. Eight were in attendance that day in 1966, but they recruited more. Their mission and accomplishments grew, leading to the founding and staffing of the Marco Island Public Library, the development of a youth center which grew to become the present-day YMCA, restoration of the Marco Island Historical Cemetery, funding of the gazebo now located at the Historical Museum, development of a health care center, and so much more.

Sheila Howard moved from Marco in 1970, but she fondly remembers the magic of her very first days on the island and the birth of the Marco Island Woman’s Club. She and Larry continue to hold Marco Island in their hearts to this day.

Today, our club has grown to more than 150 members. We embrace the motto, “Why you were born and why you are living, depends on what you are getting out of this world and what you are giving.” We continue to embrace and nurture the future of our community through significant donations to schools and various civic and health organizations. The MIWC Charitable Foundation, a 501(c)3, has raised funds for our Education Foundation that has awarded over $700,000 in scholarships to more than two hundred students living on Marco Island.

Membership is available to all women who live on Marco Island, whether you own or rent, full-time or part-time. Please join us! We would love to welcome you to our fun and friendship in the spirit of giving. For more information, please visit https://marcowomansclub.com.